The necessary shuffling of a deck of playing cards is accomplished in several ways by those who have the dexterity and have developed the skill, but many have disabilities caused by affliction, accident or merely age. Even those who are quite capable of clever hand manipulations have often wished that a simpler alternative were available, particularly if it could not only be more convenient but could offer values such as a reduction in the card abuse that many players impose by habitually over-bending the cards in their own versions of the more popular shuffling techniques.
Card shuffling mechanisms can be efficient and gentle, but are bulky and inconvenient to have on hand in every playing circumstance.
In accordance with the present invention, a simple aid to shuffling is incorporated into the construction of the cards. A slightly raised area or pattern of such areas is provided on either the back or face of each card, but in a substantially identical fashion within a given deck, to act as a fulcrum between cards. The deck is then "cut" or divided into two substantially equal parts and each resulting half of the deck is held firmly toward one edge. Each card then becomes a lever and acts on the raised fulcrum areas to spread their edges apart at the opposite edge so that one half-deck can be easily slipped into the other half or interleaved, with cards of one half-deck moving into position between cards of the other half-deck. The deck can thus be shuffled rapidly, with greater ease and just as effectively as with other methods, although the card structure does not prevent the use of the other methods in the event that they are preferred by some players.
Although the raised fulcrum areas may be placed on the front or back of the cards, specific aspects of the preferred embodiment include a pattern of slightly elevated card surfaces that can be made part of matching back designs in a deck and thereby avoid becoming a possible annoyance to those who would object to any change in the traditional appearance of the front, which they must continually observe.
Also included is the use of a single raised panel area which can continue the back design without appreciable interruption or, if made of a material applied after printing, be made transparent or with an open center to allow the design to show through.
One method allowing the fulcrums to be formed by embossing, includes a punch through method and another calls for a laminated card construction in which the embossed panel has its indented back sealed by a planar panel.
One simple method of producing the raised areas makes use of the thermographic printing process that causes printing to be notably raised above the surface. A fulcrum design can be thermographically printed over, and perhaps made to blend harmoniously with, a previously printed back design.
However formed, the elevation of these raised areas is slight and in general, limited to approximately one-half of the card thickness. The average playing card measures 0.010 to 0.011 inches in thickness and a fulcrum area, elevated 0.005 inches above the card surface, works quite well.
In accordance with this invention, the raised areas may be produced in various ways, and given varying configurations but they will have the same function, if they have similar elevation and spacing from the card edges.
While the spread between card edges is increased by having the raised fulcrum surfaces placed nearer the edges, placing them closer to the edges increases the possibility of holding over the fulcrum positions, which can cause the desired effect to be lost.
It is preferred that the raised surfaces rise gradually from the surrounding surface, rather than abruptly, whenever the construction method permits, to reduce any tendency to catch the edges of cards as they are being slid together to restore the deck.
A primary object of the invention is to include a means to aid in the shuffling of a deck of playing cards within the structure of the cards.
Another object is to make such a deck of cards in an economical manner, so that it can be made available in the price ranges commonly encountered for standard decks.
A particular object is to make such a deck available to those who find the conventional techniques for manual shuffling of playing cards difficult or impossible.
Still another object is to provide that the means to aid in shuffling does not interfere with the use of standard shuffling techniques, if a player prefers to employ them and has the ability.
A further object is to provide that the means to aid in shuffling does not create an objectionable alteration in the conventional playing card appearance.
A still further object is to include the means to aid in shuffling in a way that retains a substantially "normal" feel of the cards for the player.